In Venezuela a small scratch can become a matter of life and death. Lack of antibiotics, put three-year-old Ashely’s life at risk and almost led to her leg being amputated. As her mother Oriana explained, it all started with a simple grazed knee, which she had even cleaned with alcohol: “She fell down and scratched herself. I mean, we never expected that a scratch would cause all of this. Then, two weeks later, she had a reaction. She got arthritis, septic arthritis.”<br /><br /> Ashley’s pediatrician, Dr Richard Rangel talked about how Ashley’s situation became so drastic, so quickly: “Maykelis (Ashley) Pacheco is a three-year-old girl who was admitted to our hospital for a skin infection caused by a resistant germ.<br /><br /> Dr Rangel continued: “This germ reached her blood, from there it went to her lungs and caused pneumonia, which subsequently caused an additional infection in her heart – an Endocarditis (an infection in the inner lining of the heart). In order to eradicate or take control of the infection, she should have initially received a course of Vancomycin, but she was unable to receive it because no one had the drug.”<br /><br /> The scale of the crisis<br /><br /> Last Spring Dr Rangel witnessed the deaths of five children in one week through lack of antibiotics.<br /><br /> Public hospitals have even run out of basic equipment like soap and alcohol. The number of beds has fallen 40% since 2014, and diagnostic facilities are out of service. According to government sources,one in three patients admitted to public hospitals last year died.<br /><br /> Dying infants and no medicine: Inside Venezuela’s failing hospitals https://t.co/lbbgq6MmHm pic.twitter.com/aQ5F5MJm0y— Roy Crockett (@rcrockett) 20 septembre 2016<br /><br /> One of the lucky ones<br /><br /> It is thanks to her parents that Ashley is alive today. They queued for hours to get an appointment in a private clinic, and to buy medicine. They sold everything to save their child. But as the situation worsens, countless other parents are unable to do the same for their children.<br /><br /> After two months in hospital, Ashley was finally given the all clear and allowed to return home at the end of September.<br /><br /> 76%of hospitals in #Venezuela are experiencing medicine and supply shortages. Healthcare crisis. ElNacionalWeb pic.twitter.com/ZyKC5Gt04Y— Michael Welling (WellingMichael) 27 août 2016<br /><br /> In 2015 the mortality rate for under one-month-olds in Venezuelan Public Hospitals shot up 100 fold to 2% from 0.02% in 2012.<br /><br /> US: Babies kept in cardboard boxes at cash-strapped Venezuela hospital,Experts said that most of the hospitals… pic.twitter.com/h8Xa2JLZeH— Ghananewsline (@Ghananewsline1) 23 septembre 2016<br /><br /> Venezuela’s disastrous economic crisis has made avoidable situations like this common place yet the government has reportedly refused offers of humanitarian aid.<br />
